Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Throw out everything you know about Pinocchio. The story of this little puppet boy is wilder than you could possibly imagine. From the wild amount of fairy tale twists and turns to the surprising politics behind the tale, you’ll never look at Pinocchio the same again. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of body horror, child endangerment/abuse, violence, murder, animal death, imprisonment, robbery, dismemberment, hanging, illness, circuses, food insecurity, poverty, and debt.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends The Glass Onion. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Sign up or gift a spot in Multitude’s classes today! Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Shaker & Spoon is a subscription cocktail service that helps you learn how to make hand-crafted cocktails right at home. Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/cool Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’ve probably heard about the evil eye; there are so many traditions on what it does and how to protect yourself from it! We dive into evil eye traditions around the world, and talk death rays, airplanes, and mummy tattoos. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of migraines, colonization, bodily harm, death, violence, pseudoscience, illness, misogyny, sexual acts, child endangerment, fertility, child birth, and miscarriage.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out Pale Blue Pod: an astronomy podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe but want to be its friend! New episodes every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.- Shaker & Spoon is a subscription cocktail service that helps you learn how to make hand-crafted cocktails right at home. Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/cool Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Orangey Guy is back, aren’t you excited?? Plus we discuss the best ways to give back to a haunted historic site, secrets revealed at funerals, and exes that live in haunted lighthouses. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of family member death, illness, amputation, burns, and drug use. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Eric recommends 1899 on Netflix. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out the Queer Movie Podcast - a queer movie watch party hosted by Rowan Ellis and Jazza John. Join them as they research and rate their way through the queer film canon, one genre at a time. Search for Queer Movie Podcast in your podcast app to subscribe today!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Brilliant is the best way to learn math, science, and computer science interactively! To get started for free, visit brilliant.org/spirits. The first 200 people will get 20% off Brilliant’s annual premium subscription. - Storyworth is an online service that helps you and your loved ones preserve precious memories and stories for years to come. Go to storyworth.com/spirits and save $10 on your first purchase. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As midwinter fast approaches, we explore The Wild Hunt; the spectral parade of spirits and souls that hunt across the European skies. We discover the surprising origins, the multiplicity of tales, and much more!Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, religious persecution, hunting, animal death, animal attacks, torture, fascism, and infidelity. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Sign up or gift a spot in Multitude’s classes today! Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Gilded Age Cocktails, Jazz Age Cocktails, and Midcentury Cocktails is the newest book from NYU Press. You can get 30% and free shipping when you input code SPIRITS-FM on nyupress.org. - Brilliant is the best way to learn math, science, and computer science interactively! To get started for free, visit brilliant.org/spirits. The first 200 people will get 20% off Brilliant’s annual premium subscription. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What you know about alchemy might only be a scratch on the surface. Metal to gold? It’s so much more than that! We’re joined by Sara Norja, who is teaching us the history of alchemy. Also featuring PhD swords, philology, and the alchemy of ISAAC NEWTON??Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pseudoscience, stillbirth, death, and medical issues. GuestSara Norja dreams in two languages and has a predilection for tea. Born in England to Finnish parents and settled in Helsinki, Finland, she lives for words, dance, and moments of wonder. She has a PhD in English language history; her dissertation was on early English alchemical manuscript texts. She writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in English and Finnish.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out Join the Party, a collaborative storytelling and roleplaying podcast co-hosted in part by Julia and Amanda. Search for Join the Party in your podcast app, or go to jointhepartypod.com.Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Brooklinen delivers luxury bed sheets, pillows, comforters, & blankets straight to your door. Visit Brooklinen.com today and save 15% on your first purchase plus free shipping - Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Con artists and harmful horror tropes and production scandals, oh my! We’re talking about the Spielberg classic, Poltergeist, the origins of these spirits, and how we can do better with our horror tropes. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of genocide, racism, violence, kidnapping, child endangerment, body horror, death, mourning, and misogyny. Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: This Small Business Saturday, consider supporting your friendly local podcast collective! For $5 a month you get our weekly friendly debate podcast, access to our penpal exchange, monthly live events with the hosts, and much more. Join the MultiCrew and support Multitude this Small Business Saturday!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- The Other Path is a new folklore-inspired podcast available in your podcast app now! - Gilded Age Cocktails, Jazz Age Cocktails, and Midcentury Cocktails is the newest book from NYU Press. You can get 30% and free shipping when you input code SPIRITS-FM on nyupress.org. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What was that noise? Just the pipes, right? WRONG! We talk about cleaning up paranormal messes, clearing up a haunting by flushing a toilet, and of course, the supernatural explanation: Cheetos.Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonization, body image, home invasion, divorce, and pregnancy.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends buying from your local small businesses! - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out Pale Blue Pod: an astronomy podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe but want to be its friend! New episodes every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts!Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Blueland creates everyday eco-friendly cleaning productions that save you money and space, without any plastic waste. Get 20% off your first order when you go to blueland.com/spirits. - Storyworth is an online service that helps you and your loved ones preserve precious memories and stories for years to come. Go to storyworth.com/spirits and save $10 on your first purchase. - Gilded Age Cocktails, Jazz Age Cocktails, and Midcentury Cocktails is the newest book from NYU Press. You can get 30% and free shipping when you input code SPIRITS-FM on nyupress.org. Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You checked under your pillow, and what’s that? A new Spirits episode? And it’s all about the Tooth Fairy?! We dig into the origins of this tradition, animals who collect teeth, and the ways we celebrate children’s milestones. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of teeth, body horror, surgery, and animal/pet death.  Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Wisdom Continuum. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out NEXT STOP: An audio sitcom that explores the turbulent time of your mid-to-late 20s when everyone is changing around you -- and you worry that you might not catch up. Season 1 is out now! Search for NEXT STOP in your podcast app or go to nextstopshow.comSponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Brooklinen Brooklinen’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale is only for a limited time, and the deals don’t get better. And if you happen to have missed out — use promo code spirits. Visit Brooklinen.com and get $20 off plus free shipping on orders $100+ with code spirits- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re joined by author Van Hoang, who teaches us the story of the Monkey King, how Journey to the West MIGHT have been a romance novel, and how going through puberty turns every kid into a trickster spirit. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of trauma, puberty, crude jokes, misogyny, and arranged marriage.  GuestVan Hoang’s first name is pronounced like the van in minivan. Her last name is pronounced “hah-wawng.” She earned her bachelor’s in English at the University of New Mexico and her master’s in library information science at San Jose State University. She was born in Vietnam, grew up in Orange County, California, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, kid, and two dogs. Girl Giant and the Monkey King is her debut novel, and its sequel Girl Giant and the Jade War came out in December, 2021.Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends Dead End: Paranormal Park on Netflix.- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Check out Exolore: Helping you imagine other worlds, but with facts and science! Every other week, astrophysicist/folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier explores fictional worlds by building them with a panel of expert guests, interviewing professional worldbuilders, or reviewing the merits of worlds that have already been built.Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- ThirdLove is on a mission to find a perfect bra for everyone. Get 20% off your first order at thirdlove.com/spirits.- Clockworks Academy offers online courses on literature and popular culture, focusing especially on monster theory and on medieval literature. Go to clockworksacademy.com and use SPIRITS for 10% of any course.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Halloween might be over but we’re STILL thinking about our favorite horror movies and the best villains from those movies. Join Julia and Eric as they determine via this wild bracket who the best horror movie villain is!Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of body horror, violence, torture, murder, death, cancer, illness, cannibalism, cultural appropriation, and sex.  Housekeeping- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Games and Feelings is an advice podcast about games. Join Question Keeper Eric Silver and a revolving cast of guests as they answer your questions at the intersection of fun and humanity. Search for Games and Feelings in your podcast app today! Sponsors- BetterHelp is a secure online counseling service. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/spirits- Blueland creates everyday eco-friendly cleaning productions that save you money and space, without any plastic waste. Get 20% off your first order when you go to blueland.com/spirits. - Ask Iliza Anything is an advice podcast where people submit their burning questions on topics like how to deal with bad co-workers, bridesmaid drama, faking an accent, and so much more. Listen to Ask Iliza Anything wherever you get your podcasts!- Calm is the #1 app to help you reduce your anxiety and stress and help you sleep better. Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/spirits.Find Us OnlineIf you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.